Property owners usually don’t think anything about the foundation under their homes or businesses until they notice that something has gone wrong or an inspection has discovered problems. A solid foundation is essential to keeping a building and its residents safe. There are many reasons a foundation might fail. The most common reasons have to do with soil composition, moisture, drainage, plumbing problems, extreme temperature fluctuations and improper curing of concrete or inadequate construction techniques.
As the weather changes, soil expands and contracts and this can cause cracks to develop in a foundation or cause the foundation to become uneven. This is common with soils containing a lot of organic matter or large amounts of clay or sand. These types of soils can hold on to a good deal of moisture. When cold weather comes, that moisture causes the soil to freeze, expand and crack, which can spell trouble for foundations. Sometimes soils become soft and unable to support the load of a foundation. This can cause sagging of the building. On occasion, a foundation begins to fail because it was not properly built, commonly caused by not allowing the concrete to cure properly or by not anchoring piers on adequately compacted soil. It is recommended that foundations that are failing be evaluated to determine why the failure has occurred so the cause can be addressed before repairs are made to avoid a repeat of the failure.
Foundation repairs can range from simple installation of some helical piers which are driven down to solid ground, drilled piles used in tight spots and other techniques such as pumped grout which is injected underneath existing concrete to fill voids and cracks and bring the foundation up to level. Sometimes foundation repair is more involved. When needing foundation repairing in Mississippi, the best thing to do is to contract with a company that can evaluate what has gone wrong, engineer a solution, provide proposals and estimates for repair and take on the work before further damage is done.
Property owners should look at foundation inspections and repair as part of normal building maintenance. Companies offering Foundation Repairing in Mississippi should be licensed, insured and have references available for consumers to review. The adherence to building codes, access to certified engineers and knowledge of the latest foundation construction and repair techniques will help to make sure that people are safe and valuable properties are protected.
